Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2021
668. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the expenditure items listed under selected measures in Budget 2022 expenditure report, indicating for each expenditure item listed the first year and whole year, cost values in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52251/21]
View answerTable below outlines selected measures in budget 2022 relevant to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
|
Estimate Options |
Description |
Amount |
|
Skills Development |
6,000 Skillnet places and 1,600 Skills to Advance places in key skills areas of the economy |
€9m |
|
Skills and EconomicRecovery |
Training to support jobseekers, address climate and low carbon economy issues - 8,900 places on skills to compete; - 35,000 learners to avail of green skills modules; and - 2650 additional places on Retrofit and NZEB expansion. - Up to 10,000 places on Work Placement Experience Programme |
€79m |
|
Apprenticeships |
€34 million to support and develop apprenticeship including €17 million to address the backlogs in delivery caused by COVID-19 including:- - Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme - SOLAS apprenticeship backlog - HEA apprenticeship backlog Apprenticeship Action Plan - Apprenticeship Employer Grant - The Employer grant will be introduced from January for employers of apprentices who do not already benefit from the payment of training allowances available for craft apprentices on off-the-job training - Set up cost of National Apprenticeship Office |
€34m |
|
Removal of PLC Fees |
Removal of Post Leaving Cert €200 levy for over 10,000 learners which will apply to every PLC course provided in ETBs nationally. |
€2m |
|
Delivery of keystrategic priorities in further education and training |
Adult Literacy Strategy The additional investment in 2022 will be used to establish a Programme Office, appoint 16 Regional Coordinators, and establish a Collaboration/Innovation Fund as part of the new integrated and collaborative structures to oversee and monitor the implementation of the ALL Strategy |
€3m |
|
Higher Education investment |
Higher Education investment including for increased capacity in the third level sector reflecting demographic pressures and funding for additional CAO places as a result of exceptional demand arising from this year’s leaving cert. |
€68m |
|
Springboard |
Provision of 1,500 places to meet the high level demands. This is a carryover measure from 2021 |
€7m |
|
Student Supports |
Student supports include: - Maintenance Grant will increase by €200 for over 62,000 students. - Eligibility cut off points will increase by €1,000 ensuring more students qualify and more families can access support. - Distance for the higher non-adjacent student grant will be reduced from 45km to 30km. This means more students who are living away from home or travelling to college will qualify for the higher grant. - Additional supports for students impacted by COVID |
€35m |
|
National Access Planand Intellectual Disabilities |
Funding for a new PATH programme targeting students on access/foundation courses and funding for a pilot project in HEIs for students with intellectual disabilities. |
€5m |
|
TU TransformationFund |
Support Education and Training reform for new and future Technological Universities |
€19m |
|
Grand Challenges |
Research, Innovation & Science; Support the National Grand Challenges Programme |
€4m |
The Estimates for Public Services 2022 were published on 12th October 2021 as part of the Budget 2022 Expenditure report. Additional information can be found on www.gov.ie/en/publication/cb7ac-expenditure-reports/.
Full details on the allocation of resources across spending areas and within each programme will be detailed, as usual, in the annual Revised Estimates Volume for the Public Service (REV) due to be published in Dec 2021.
Information pertaining to full year costs for above measures will be subject to 2023 Estimates discussions.
